Nilesh Sahay is the torch bearer of an illustrious film legacy. He is a fourth generation Bollywood actor. Zaheeda (Gambler, Prem Pujari) is his mother. Nargis, his grand aunt, and Sanjay Dutt, his mama.

The young actor who has made a headway in the Hindi film industry himself, with Ganesh Acharya's Angel, where he plays a poor hero in love with a physically challenged girl, shares a few pages from his family album with Sunday Mid Day.



Nargis
Grand aunt

She was an indisputable legend. My mom and she were extremely close; my mother still gets moist-eyed when she talks about her. She affectionately called her Pappo.

Unfortunately, she passed away in 1981, a year before I was born. My mom tells me she was a kind-hearted, down-to-earth lady.

There is no better actor than her. And my favourite film would have to be Mother India. But she was also very competent in Yaadein; she was the only protagonist in the film.

Akhtar Hussain
Maternal grandfather

Akhtar Hussain was the golden boy of the 1940s. He was known as 'Aashiq Hussain', and acted in about a dozen films including Madam Fashion and Talash-E-Haq.

Later, he became a successful producer-director, and owned Rang Mahal studio. The films he produced were under the AAN (Akhtar-Anwar-Nargis) Productions banner, and he was the writer behind the National Award winning film Raat Aur Din (1967).

When I used to visit Chateau Marine, his Marine Drive residence, I would wake up at seven and insist that he play with me. I'd end up accompanying him to the market to shop for breakfast.

Later, we would head to the Cooperage Ground nearby where I would play football.

Once Rehana aunty asked him: 'Abba, aapke sab pote-potiyon mein sabse khoobsurat kaun hai?' And he said, 'Zaheeda ka chhotawala beta hain na, woh'.

Anwar Hussain
Grand uncle

He was a famous character artiste and a villain who acted in classics like Ganga Jamuna (1961). He was this cool guy who wore fancy suits and rode bikes, and spent hours working out in the gym.

Jaddanbai
Maternal great grandmother

My mother's maternal grandmother was a trendsetter. She was India's first woman producer-director and music director.

She acted in and composed music for Talash-E-Haq (1935), which also launched her daughter, Fatima as Baby Rani (who grew up to become legendary star, Nargis).

From what my mother has told me, her maternal grandmother was a headstrong lady. It runs in our family. We have strongheaded women.

The prints of her films were destroyed in a Film Centre fire some years ago. You have no idea what lengths I have gone to to be able to retrieve them.

Sunil Dutt
Grand uncle
He was 'Sunil nana' to me and I was 'Junior Sanjay Dutt' for him since I used to work out with Sanju mama at his home. I still have a white Versace jacket that Sunil nana owned. Priya maasi (MP Priya Dutt) gifted it to me.

I'd often meet him when we went to watch films at his Ajanta Arts' preview theatre. Always warm and genuine, he was God's good man. When my grandfather passed away, he said: 'Akhtar bhai was so much into football.

Let's have a trophy in his name'. He got a trophy specially made in America.

Zaheeda Mother
For me she is the most beautiful woman; not because she is my mother. It'su00a0 a fact. I feel uncomfortable watching her films; watching her act with other heroes.

Sanjay Dutt Mama

When I was little, I was shy of him. If he came into the room, I would hide. And yet, I'd land up on the sets of most of his films. It used to take 50 minutes to drive down to my aunt's (Nargis) house in Bandra from our Malabar Hill residence. My brother and I were always in a rush to get back home from school so that mom could find out if there was a shooting on at Bandra's Mehboob Studios. And if it was Sanju mama's film, toh hum chale jaate the. We would sit there for a bit before we were shooed away.

I didn't see Sanju mama's Rocky till much later. While his contemporaries have moved on to doing other roles, Sanjay Dutt is still Sanjay Dutt. He is still that big star; he'll be a hero even at 70.
The best advice Sanju mama has given me ufffd 'Go, do things yourself, figure it out.